


Christmas to Remember

by Brumeier



Category: The Three Investigators | Die drei ??? - Various Authors, The Trixie Belden Mysteries - Julie Campbell Tatham & Kathryn Kenny
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Christmas Fluff, Dancing, Elves, F/M, Fairies, First Kiss, Santa's Workshop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28409172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: Trixie dreams of more than just working in Stockings, and Jupiter is the key.
Relationships: Trixie Belden/Jupiter Jones | Justus Jonas
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6
Collections: What If? AU Challenge





	Christmas to Remember

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vanillafluffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/gifts).



> Written for whatif_au: holiday mythology

“You’re staring again,” Honey said. “Just go talk to him.”

Trixie ducked her head, blushing. Hopefully the general air of chaos that always accompanied a hot cocoa break kept anyone else from noticing.

“I can’t just talk to him,” she protested.

“It’s easy. You open your mouth, words fall out. It’s not ribbon-craft, Trixie.”

That was easy for Honey to say. She was the assistant to the assistant to the director of the entire Stocking division, and she had plenty of suitors, but Trixie was only a level two Stuffer. She had no business thinking romantic thoughts about Jupiter, a high-level elf and the head of Santa’s North Pole Investigations Unit.

Honey sipped delicately at her hot cocoa. She never got a whipped cream moustache. And she knew Trixie too well.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Honey said. “You know you were meant for bigger things than stuffing stockings.”

Any further protests Trixie might have made were drowned out by the three horn blasts announcing the end of the break. It was Christmas Eve eve, so the breaks were short, and everyone had to get back to work to make sure everything was ready for Santa’s big trip.

In Trixie’s department, the two Fairies who would be traveling with the big guy were reviewing lists and making sure each pack of stuffers was ready to go. It was a real honor to get to travel with Santa, filling stockings while he left gifts under the tree. They had to be able to think on their feet and problem solve, because sometimes things didn’t go to plan.

Trixie would probably never be eligible because she was too easily distracted. Humans were so complex and interesting, and she always scored low on the simulations because she wanted to know why this family had so many little figurines of frogs, or she needed to stop and look at all the pictures that were on the mantle to try and figure out how everyone was related.

“Let’s get to work!” Valdi said, translucent wings quivering as he pointed to the digital countdown display. “We still have five hundred and three stockings to fill!”

He was the director, and anything that went wrong would come back on him, so he was a fierce taskmaster.

Trixie sat at her workstation and checked her list, her own wings tucked back and out of the way. Ten-year-old Athina S. liked animals – especially ferrets and foxes – and crafting. Trixie typed those details into the search bar of the Toy Box system (Stocking Stuffer sub-category) and quickly scanned the options that came up. She flagged her selections and then moved on to the next child while the Present Pixies gathered everything up.

She was so busy there wasn’t time to worry about her situation.

When the final horns sounded, all the stuffers had been packed up and all the Christmas Fairies set up a loud cheer when the countdown display ticked down to zero.

“Good job, everyone!” Valdi said, beaming. “Go rest up. Tomorrow is the big day!”

Trixie and Honey met up for dinner in the cafeteria. There were a lot of empty seats because most of the elves were still hard at work. The reindeer had to be groomed and fed and put through their paces to make sure they were ready for their big flight, the sleigh had to be prepped, and Santa’s sack had to be packed.

Jupiter wasn’t there for Trixie to sneak glances at.

“You know he’ll be at the Day After party,” Honey said. “Ask him to dance. What do you have to lose?”

“My self-esteem? My dignity?”

Honey rolled her eyes and fluttered her wings. “Oh, please. You’re no wilting poinsettia, so stop acting like one. You’ll never get what you want by just dreaming about it.”

Trixie grumbled as she ate her salad, mostly because Honey was right. She really wanted two things – to get to know Jupiter better, and to have a chance at being the first Christmas Fairy to work for the NPIU. Achieving one of those things would surely lead to the other, since Jupiter and the NPIU were so entertwined.

“You’ll thank me one day,” Honey said in a sing-song voice.

Trixie threw a crouton at her.

*o*o*o*

Everyone at the North Pole maintained their posts on Christmas Eve, tracking Santa’s progress on monitors scattered around the various workshops. They had to be ready for anything, including anti-radar equipment failure, a sick reindeer, or a gifting mix-up. Only when the last gift had been delivered, and the last stocking stuffed, could everyone relax.

December 25th was a day of celebration, the only day that all work stopped and everyone could do whatever they wanted. The cafeteria was open the whole day, with hot cocoa, cold sandwiches, and piles of cookies available in a magical unending supply so the kitchen staff could also enjoy the day. There were snowball fights and sledding races and snowmen to be built, groups of carolers would wander the square singing their favorite songs, and it was all topped off with a big dance in the ice cavern.

Trixie spent much too long getting ready for the dance. Her wings were freshly dusted with silver sparkle, she’d made a new dress that shimmered blue and silver, and she’d done her best with her unruly curls, getting them mostly pinned into a more formal style. Fairies had naturally pink cheeks, so there was no need for rouge, but Trixie added a bit of glittery pink gloss to her lips.

“You look beautiful!” Honey gushed when they met up at the ice cavern.

“So do you!”

It was an easy compliment to return. Honey was taller and willowier than Trixie and had a natural grace Trixie could never hope to emulate. She’d be director of Stockings one day, to be sure.

The party was in full swing. Eggnog and mulled cider were freely flowing, there were fancy little Christmas cakes everywhere, and No Place Like Gnome was providing the live music. A fairy immediately came over to ask Honey to dance.

“Be brave,” she whispered in Trixie’s ear before she was swept off.

Trixie _was_ brave. Usually. She never shied away from a challenge. But there were some goals that just seemed unreachable. Fairies and elves could be friends, but rarely ever more than that. Fairies worked in Stockings and sometimes in the reindeer barns, and elves and pixies worked in Toys. The highest levels of North Pole administration – Chief Elf, Head of R&D, Mission Control – were restricted to elves only.

She was only one fairy. How much could she be expected to do?

Well, Trixie could do one thing. She spotted Jupiter standing near one of the mulled cider stations, took a deep breath, set her wings, and marched over there with purpose.

“Are you enjoying the party?” she asked when she was close enough.

Jupiter looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “Indubitably.”

Was that a yes or a no? Because he didn’t look like he was having fun. He looked like he was keeping watch, assessing the group for any possible problems. Trixie couldn’t remember any unpleasantness erupting at a Day After party, so she wasn’t sure why Jupiter wasn’t dancing. He was certainly handsome enough, plus he had the extra cred from being part of the NPIU.

“I thought you might like to dance. With me.” Trixie’s heart was pounding in her ears, but she kept her head held high.

Jupiter’s other eyebrow raised, but he held out his hand and Trixie took it, and they joined the others who were dancing the Snowflake Waltz. Trixie had to flutter her wings a little, to keep her feet off the floor enough to put her on a more even height with the taller Jupiter.

“You wouldn’t be angling for a career change, would you?” Jupiter asked. He sounded amused. 

“And why shouldn’t I? I can do more than stuff stockings, you know.” Trixie tightened her grip on Jupiter and started to lead. “I’m very capable.”

“Undoubtedly. Someone else in Stockings must think so as well. Your personnel file was sent up the chain.”

“Wait. Really?” Trixie was so surprised that Jupiter was able to start leading their dance again.

“I’ve had my eye on you, Trixie from Stockings,” Jupiter said. “You have a reputation for ferreting things out. Using your know-how for more than just picking out stuffers.”

Trixie looked over Jupiter’s shoulder until she found Honey in the crowd, twirling and laughing. Who else but Honey knew that Trixie dreamed of being in the NPIU? Trixie was lucky to have her as a friend.

“Last year you tracked down those missing stuffers to a Brownie infestation the NPIU had only just become aware of. It was an impressive bit of sleuthing.”

Trixie could feel herself blushing. “I like figuring things out.”

“Unquestionably.”

The Snowflake Waltz changed to a more fast-paced Blizzard Scramble, but Jupiter just kept waltzing Trixie around the edges of the dancefloor.

“Is this a job interview or a date?” she asked, feeling a little breathless.

“Why can’t it be both?”

Jupiter gave Trixie a tentative smile, and she grinned back at him. By the end of the Scramble she had her head on his shoulder. By the end of the night, he was kissing her at her front door.

And by the New Year, Trixie became the first fairy member of the North Pole Investigative Unit, with Santa’s blessing. It was a Christmas she’d always remember.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** Title from the song of the same name by [Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCzRkv6q4fQ).
> 
> Christmas Fairies are part of my family’s holiday mythology, and when I tried to think of something to write for this month’s AU, this is what popped into my mind. I chose these two fandoms because I hadn’t written them in a while, and also Trixie, Honey, and Jupiter are excellent fairy and elf names, aren’t they? LOL!


End file.
